Make sure you qualify for admission. International schools and methods of assessment vary widely, as do prerequisites for specific universities. In general you will need to have completed secondary school, have earned satisfactory results on your country's Leaving or Aptitude exams, if offered (for example, A Levels, Baccalaureate, SATs, etc.) If English is not your mother tongue, you'll need to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or equivalent. Of course, you should contact the universities for more detailed information.

Apply. The timetable for this varies by institution, so make sure to confirm what paperwork you'll need to do, and when to submit it.

Once you've been accepted, you must get a student visa or entry permit.* All non-local students need one, whether they come for an exchange program or full-time degree-seeking studies. (*If you have the right of abode in Hong Kong, you can skip this step.) You'll need a local sponsor, which can be arranged through your university, as well as a number of supporting documents. Normally, the Immigration Department requires the following, although they may ask for others. It can take up to six weeks to process a visa or entry permit - apply as far in advance as possible!

	Forms 936 A, E, K, and L, completed and signed
	Sponsor's Certificate ID(E)936B (English) or ID(C)936B (Chinese)
	Photocopy of your identity card and/or travel documents
	Proof of your academic qualifications (transcripts, awards, and certificates)
	A photocopy of your letter of admission from a university in Hong Kong, as well as your letter accepting their admission
	Evidence of your financial standing (bank statements, passbooks, proof of scholarship funds). If someone is sponsoring you financially, that person must submit a declaration stating their relationship to you and their intention to support your study and living expenses
	Evidence of residence in Hong Kong (this means you'll need to make arrangements to live on campus, or find another abode, before applying)

Students from Mainland China should file their visa application through the institution at which they plan to study. Residents of Taiwan should apply directly to the Hong Kong Immigration Department through their sponsoring institution. All other overseas students can submit their applications and supporting documents in one of several ways.

	By mail, to the Receipt and Dispatch Unit, Hong Kong Immigration Department, 2/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
	At the nearest Chinese Embassy or Consulate
	Foreign passport holders living in Mainland China can apply at the Beijing Office of the Government of the HKSAR